Amazon Schools Walmart And Best Buy On Handling PS5 Restocks, Scoring One Just Got Easier
If you've been pulling your hair out trying to find a PlayStation 5 in stock since it came out, you're probably running out of follicles by now. Making matters worse, it's not uncommon for restock events to include forced bundles or be hidden behind a membership paywall just for a chance at scoring one before the allotted inventory runs out. There has to be a better way, right? Amazon certainly thinks so.
The online mega retailer that started off as a book store and now sells practically everything imaginable has implemented a long overdue invitation system for the PS5. Instead of following a bunch of Twitter accounts that track restocks or refreshing Amazon's product page in hopes of a lucky (and unlikely) hit, you can simply request an invitation and wait.
Obviously this doesn't solve the shortage, and requesting an invitation doesn't guarantee that you'll score a PS5. It's still a high-demand item with limited quantities, after all. But it does take the stress out of tracking restocks and then kicking yourself when you arrive too late, or miss a timely Twitter update.
Even better, Amazon isn't putting its restocks behind a membership paywall (Walmart is hosting a PS5 restock today, but you need to be a paid Walmart+ subscriber). You don't have to be a Prime subscriber, you just need to have a valid account and click the yellow "Request invitation" button on the PS5's product page. If chosen, Amazon will email a special link to that's valid for 72 hours to complete your purchase.
Source: Amazon via TechCrunch
"We work hard every day to provide customers with low prices, vast selection, and fast delivery," Amazon told TechCrunch. "This includes developing a shopping experience where customers can purchase the items they’re interested in without having to worry about bad actors buying and reselling them at a much higher price."
This is Amazon's way of trying to bypass scalpers and bots. As part of the invitation process, Amazon will apparently look at certain factors such as a customer's order history and how long their account has been open. It's not a foolproof method, but in theory it should help weed out the bots.
As of right now, this option only appears on the disc version of the PS5. However, there are plans to extend the invitation system to other high demand items, including the Xbox Series X. To request an invite, just hit up Amazon's PS5 product page and mash the button.
